Are Your Hips a Pain?

hippainOccasional discomfort in your hips has turned into near-constant pain. What can you do to calm the irritated joints?

Hip PainFor many Americans living with chronic hip pain, a condition called osteoarthritis that softens the movement of the bones against each other is the culprit. For others, pain boils down to the tendons: Either these connective tissues become inflamed or the small structures that pad them, known as bursae, swell. Still other individuals develop long-term pain as a result of injury to a nearby muscle, such as the hamstring.

No matter what’s making your hips hurt, you can try several things to ease the pain. Follow these steps:

1. Identify your triggers. Pinpoint and then try to avoid the actions that make pain flare up, such as climbing stairs or bending to reach pots and pans in kitchen cabinets.

2. Visit the drugstore. Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications may relieve symptoms.

3. Don’t go sedentary. Rather than constantly resting your hips, use low-impact exercises, such as swimming and stationary biking, to keep them strong and limber.

4. Be hands-on. Gently rubbing the source of pain may improve discomfort, especially bursitis-related symptoms. Put ice on the area for at least 20 minutes several times daily.

5. Soften your steps. Purchase insoles if your shoes don’t provide adequate cushioning. Avoid wearing high heels or wedges.

Click here to read the rest of the article! 

Click here to read more articles from the 2015 Stay Healthy Winter issue!